Shark Attack (1999)

Coming out in the same year as Deep Blue Sea, is there any way to avoid comparing Shark Attack to its bigger-budget inspiration? How about when you consider that they both revolve around sharks who are medically “altered” in order to help find a cure for a disease (in this case, cancer), only to have the fish run rampant, killing everything in sight? While Deep Blue Sea could afford computer effects, though, the action in Shark Attack is about as cheesy as the cover art. It focuses more on — ugh — plot than action.

Unfortunately, the plot involves Casper Van Dien and Ernie Hudson. Van Dien plays a shark expert who travels to a country referred to only as “Africa” to investigate a rash of — you guessed it — shark attacks. Ernie Hudson plays a distrustful local hotel owner who should be distrusted. The remaining black cast members are largely peripheral, serving as sympathetic victims of the shark experimentation or as maniacal henchmen for the bad guys. One local tries to help Van Dien battle the baddies and gets shot as soon as he arrives to save the day. Thanks anyway! The climax is a pretty ridiculous spectacle…even for Casper Van Dien.

No one knew why Petey always smiled, but they hated him for it.“This was no boating accident.”Sean had mastered the art of “prissy rowing.”“My God, you’re so…Aryan.”

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